Pre-Hilalian Arabic dialects

Pre-Hilalian dialects are a continuum of Arabic dialects native to North Africa. They constitute, along with the Hilalian dialects, the larger Maghrebi Arabic family.

History

Pre-Hilalian dialects are a result of early Arabization phases that lasted from the 7th to the 12th centuries, and that concerned the main urban settlements (Kairouan, Constantine, Tlemcen and Fez) and the neighboring harbors (respectively Mahdia and Sousse, Jijel and Collo, Rachgun and Honaine, and Badis and Tangiers), as well as the –triangular– areas between them.^[1]

This early Arabization also concerned various Jewish communities and a few urban centers outside the main Arabized areas, such as Tunis and Salé.^[1]

Variants

Pre-Hilalian Arabic dialects are classified in three types:^[1]

• (Old) Urban dialects: those of the major historical urban settlements such as Kairouan, Tunis, Constantine, Bougie, Algiers, Tlemcen, Taza, Fez, Rabat, Tetouan and Chefchaouen ;
• "Village" and Mountain dialects: those of the areas between the four original urban settlements (Kairouan, Constantine, Tlemcen and Fez) and their respective harbors:
  • Sahel dialects in the Sahel, Tunisia ;
  • Lesser Kabylia dialects in Lesser Kabylia, Constantinois (eastern Algeria) ;
  • Trara dialects in the Trara mountains, Oranais (western Algeria) ;
  • Mountain dialects in the southern and western part of the Rif, northern Morocco ;
• All Jewish dialects of the Maghreb.

Two geographical groups of pre-Hilalian dialects are distinguished:^[2]

• Eastern dialects, those spoken in Libya, the Tunisian Sahel and the Constantinois ;
• Western dialects, those spoken in the Oranais and Morocco.

Additionally, the Maltese language is often classified as pre-Hilalian, since it shares many pre-Hilalian features.^[3]

Pre-Hilalian Urban dialects were formerly spoken in other cities such as Tripoli, Mascara and Azemmour, where they are extinct, replaced by the more widespread Hilalian dialects. Currently, many (Old) Urban dialects are endangered because of the prevalence of the Hilalian-based new Urban koinés in everyday communication.

References